Acta Univ. Palacki. Olomuc., Gymn. 2008 38(1): 17-26

Overweight and obesity trends in Slovenian boys from 1991 to 2006

Marjeta Kovač, Bojan Leskošek, Janko Strel
Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana

The study examined a group of overweight and obese Slovenian boys aged seven to eighteen with the use of an annually repeated cross sectional study. The study lasted from 1991 to 2006 and was based on the body mass index according to the IOTF norms. The results show that the proportion of overweight boys in this period increased by 40% (from 13.5% to 18.8%), whereas the proportion of obese boys more than doubled (from 2.8% to 6.1%). The prevalence of overweight and obesity is highest in childhood and early adolescence since it is more than twice as high than at the age of eighteen. Trends and the prevalence of obesity and overweight are similar to those in other countries and in compliance with Slovenia's geographical position in Europe. In recent years, it has been noticed that the 11 to 13 years age group represents the largest proportion of overweight boys. This is a year earlier than seen with past results; the numbers start to decrease after the age of 13. It is interesting to note that the age category with the biggest proportion of overweight boys describes the physically most active population, which is exposed to three hours of physical education per week under the guidance of specialist teachers. In addition, boys of this age most often participate in extracurricular sports activities. This anomaly of the BMI distribution found on the studied population is also characteristic of other populations. It can be concluded that excessive weight in this age period is more a result of physical development and less of external conditions; in other words, the reference values of the IOTF for this specific age group are not particularly suitable.

Keywords: Body mass index, overweight, obesity, boys, Slovenia

Prepublished online: January 16, 2009; Published: January 1, 2008  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Kovač, M., Leskošek, B., & Strel, J. (2008). Overweight and obesity trends in Slovenian boys from 1991 to 2006. Acta Universitatis Palackianae Olomucensis. Gymnica, 38(1), 17-26
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Andersen, L. B., Froberg, K., Kristensen P. L., & Mǿller, N. C. (2007). Physical activity and physical fitness in relation to cardiovascular disease in children. In W. B. Brettschneider & R. Naul (Eds.), Obesity in Europe: Young people's physical activity and sedentary lifestyles (pp. 57-100). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
    2. Avbelj, M., Saje-Hribar, N., Seher-Zupančič, M., Brcar, P., Kotnik, P., Iršič, A., Bratanič, N., Kržišnik, C., & Battelino, T. (2005). Overweight and obesity prevalence among 5 year old children and 15 to 16 year old adolescents in Slovenia. Zdravstveni vestnik, 74, 753-759.
    3. Brcar, P. (2005). Health of children and youth of both genders. In A. Črnak-Meglič (Ed.), Otroci in mladina v prehodni družbi: Analiza položaja v Sloveniji. Maribor: Ministrstvo za šolstvo in šport, Urad Republike Slovenije za mladino. Retrieved 4. 9. 2007 from World Wide Web: http://www.ivz.si/javne_datoteke/datoteke/856-ZdravjecotrokCcmadostniccincmladostnikovcPOLONAcBRCARcmarecc2006.doc
    4. Brettschneider, W. B., & Naul, R. (2004). Study on young people's lifestyle and sedentariness and the role of sport in the context of education and as a means of restoring the balance. Paderborn: University of Paderborn and Council of Europe.
    5. Bučar-Pajek M., Strel, J., Kovač, M., & Pajek, J. (2004). Expansion of the prevalence of overweight and obese schoolchildren, aged 7 to 10: A new epidemic risk factor? In R. Pišot, V. Štemberger, J. Zurc, & A. Obid (Eds.), Abstracts and proceedings of 3rd International symposium Child in Motion. Koper: Univerza na Primorskem & Znanstveno raziskovalno središče.
    6. Cash, T. F. (2002). Cognitive behavioral perspectives on body image. In T. F. Cash & T. Pruzinsky (Eds.), Body images: A handbook of theory, research and clinical practice (38-46). New York, London: Guilford Press.
    7. Cole, T. J., Bellizzi, M. C., Flegal, K. M., & Dietz, W. H. (2000). Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: International survey. British Medical Journal, 320, 1240-243. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    8. Collett, D. (1991). Modelling binary data. London: Chapman and Hall. Go to original source...
    9. Currie, C., Roberts, C., Morgan, A., Smith, R., Settertobulte, W., Samdal, O. et al. (2004). Young people's health in context: Health behaviour in school aged children (HBSC) study - international report from the 2001/2002 survey. Health Policy for Children and Adolescents, 4. Copenhagen: World Health Organization regional office for Europe.
    10. Dehghan, M., Akhtar-Danesh, N., & Merchant, A. T. (2005). Childhood obesity, prevalence and prevention. Nutrition Journal, 4, 24. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Dietz, W. H. (1998). Health consequences of obesity in youth: Childhood predictors of adult disease. Paediatrics, 101, 518-525. Go to original source...
    12. Drummond, S., Crombie, N., & Kirk, T. (1996). A critique of the effects of snacking on body weight status. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 50, 779-783. Go to PubMed...
    13. Gabrijelčič Blenkuš, M. (2001). Some eating habits of high school pupils in Ljubljana with a stress on the difference between genders. Zdravstveno varstvo, 40, 135-143.
    14. Goni, A., & Zulaka, L. (2000). Relationship between physical education classes and the enhancement of fifth grade pupils' self concept. Perceptual and motor skills, 91, 246-250. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    15. James, P. T. (2004). Obesity: The worldwide epidemic. Clinics in Dermatology, 22(4), 276-80. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    16. Jeriček, M. (2007). Presentation of the results of the study Health related behaviour in the academic year 2006. Ljubljana: Inštitut za varovanje zdravja RS, Center za promocijo zdravja.
    17. Jurak, G. (2006). Sports vs. the cigarettes & coffee lifestyle of Slovenian high school students. Anthropological Notebooks 12(2), 79-95.
    18. Jurak, G., Kovač, M., Strel, J., Majerič, M., Starc, G., Filipčič, T. et al. (2003). Sports activities of Slovenian children and young people during their summer holidays. Ljubljana: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Sport.
    19. Kovač, M. (2006). When social becomes biological: The effect of different physical education curricula on the motor and physical development of high school girls. Anthropological Notebooks, 12(2), 97-112.
    20. Kovač, M., Strel, J., & Leskošek, B. (2007). Morphological characteristics and motor abilities of boys following different secondary school programmes. Kinesiology, 39(1), 62-73.
    21. Kristensen, P. L., Wedderkopp, N., Mǿller N. C., Andersen, L. B., Bai, C. N., & Froberg, K. (2006). Tracking and prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors across socio-economic classes: A longitudinal sub study of the European youth heart study. Public Health, 6, 20. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    22. Lobstein, T., Baur, L., & Uauy, R. (2004). Obesity in children and young people: A crisis in public health. Obesity Reviews 5(1), 1-104. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    23. Lobstein, T., & Frelut. M. L. (2003). Prevalence of overweight among children in Europe. Obesity Reviews 4(4), 195-200. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    24. Malina, R. M., & Katzmarzyk, P. T. (1999). Validity of the body mass index as an indicator of the risk and presence of overweight in adolescents. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 131-116. Go to original source...
    25. Parsons, T. J., Power, C., Logan, S., & Summerbell, C. D. (1999). Childhood predictors of adult obesity: A systematic review. International Journal of Obesity, 23, 1-107.
    26. Riddoch, C. J., Andersen, L. B., Wedderkopp, N., Harro, M., Klasson-Heggebo, L., Sardinha, L. B. et al. (2004). Physical activity levels and patterns of 9 and 15 year old European children. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36, 86-92. Go to original source...
    27. Rolland-Cachera, M. F., Cole, T. J., Sempe, M., Tichet, J., Rossignol, C., & Charraud, A. (1991). Body mass index variations: Centiles from birth to 87 years. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 45, 13-21. Go to PubMed...
    28. Stergar, E., Scagnetti, N., & Pucelj, V. (2006). Health related behaviour. Ljubljana: Inštitut za varovanje zdravja.
    29. Stomatakis, E., Primatesta, P., Chinn, S., Rona, R., & Falascheti, E. (2005). Overweight and obesity trends from 1974 to 2003 in English children: What is the role of socio-economic factors? Archives of Disease in Childhood, 90, 999-1004. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    30. Strel, J., Ambrožič, F., Kondrič, M., Kovač, M., Leskošek, B., Štihec, J., & Šturm, J. (1997). Sports educational chart. Ljubljana: Ministry of Education and Sport.
    31. Strel, J., Kovač, M., & Jurak, G. (2007). Physical and motor development, sport activities and lifestyles of Slovenian children and youth - changes in the last few decades. In W. D. Brettschneider & R. Naul (Eds.), Obesity in Europe: Young people's physical activity and sedentary lifestyles (pp. 243-264). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
    32. Strel, J., Kovač, M., Jurak, G., Bednarik, J., Leskošek, B., Starc, G., Majerič, M., & Filipčič, T. (2003). Certain morphological, motor, functional and health parameters of children and youth in Slovenia in the period 1990 to 2000. Ljubljana: Fakulteta za šport, Inštitut za kineziologijo.
    33. Strel, J., Kovač, M., & Rogelj, A. (2006). Data collection sports education chart - report for the academic year 2005/2006 and some comparisons with the academic year 2004/2005. Ljubljana: Fakulteta za šport.
    34. Šturm, J., Strel, J., Ambrožič, F., Leskošek, B., Strojnik, V., & Krpač, F. (1990). An information system for evaluation of motor abilities and morphological characteristics of the youth in the Republic of Slovenia. Teorie a praxe tělesné výchovy, 38(7), 431-437.
    35. Whitaker, R. C, Wright, J. A., Pepe, M. S., Seidel, K. D., & Dietz, W. H. (1997). Predicting obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 337, 869-873. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    36. WHO. Obesity and overweight. Retrieved 11. 7. 2007 from World Wide Web: http://www.who.int/hpr/NPH/docs/gs_obesity.pdf
    37. Statistical office of the Republic of Slovenia (2006). Statistične informacije - Rapid reports No. 188. Prebivalstvo - Population (21. 11. 2006). Ljubljana: Statistični urad Republike Slovenije. Retrieved 11. 9. 2007 from World Wide Web: http://www.stat.si/doc/statinf/05si-021-0602.pdf

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content